Stalling Speedster
by LupinGranger
Summary: When Harrison fails to convince Jesse that is better to not use her powers, he turns to Caitlin. Only, things don't exactly go as he expected them to.


"Harry, what are you doing?" Cisco asked after Jesse had left the room, Harrison was gripping on the screen so tight that his knuckles were turning white, he didn't even look at Cisco when he answered.  
"I'm being thorough."  
"Are you sure, because it looks like you're stalling..." Caitlin tried, earning her one of Harry's trademark glares. The moments he send one in her general direction were rare and even when he did, it was much less threatening than with the others, there was a softness in his eyes that was hard to ignore. Something he didn't have as much as he did with the others.  
"Okay fine, I'm stalling. I'm stalling. So what?"  
"So what? So why?" Cisco intervened, Harrison rolled his eyes, sometimes it was unbelievable how thick Cisco could be, even more so because he was extremely intelligent, _most_ of the time.  
"So why, why, _why_? I gotta explain myself to you? Well guess I do, because you two are not parents.  
That's my _daughter_. And she spend months on this very earth, watching Barry Allen defeat meta after meta after meta _and_ Zoom. And bam, now she's got speed. And now she wants to be a hero just like him. And I think that's a great idea… _Not_."  
"Harry we can help her, we can train her. Just like we did with Barry." Caitlin knew it was a moot point, by now Harrison was too far gone, he was stuck feeling frustrated and scared. She knew that there was nothing she could do to make him see reason at this moment, but she still wanted to try.  
"I want you to talk her out of it."  
"What? _No_!"  
Of all the things Harrison could have suggested, this was something Caitlin had least expected.  
Where was this coming from? This wasn't the Harrison she knew, not in the slightest.  
The one before Flashpoint had been fiercely protective of his daughter, but he had always been in control of his emotions. Never had she known him to be this jittery. He was surprisingly talkative.  
"Please, Caitlin. You've always had such a special relationship with her, you know Jesse."  
Oh _God_ he was pleading now, Caitlin did not know what to do with herself.  
"Okay, _fine_. I'll do it."  
"Thank you Snow, much appreciated."  
There was no sarcastic undertone to his talking anymore, no venom in his words.  
Caitlin went to find Jesse, something that didn't take very long because she was right where she had arrived a few hours prior. The breach was closed again, a relief to everyone at S.T.A.R. Labs.  
"Jesse, are you okay?"  
The girl just nodded, she wiped her sleeve over her face, obviously trying to hide the fact she had been crying not long before. Caitlin went to sit next to her and awkwardly patted Jesse's shoulder.  
The small touch of affection was enough for Jesse to set her off again, she started sobbing and before Caitlin knew it, she had her arms wrapped around the crying girl.  
"Hey Jesse, you'll be fine okay? You'll be fine."  
After a few minutes Jesse tried to compose herself, trying to explain to Caitlin what was on her mind, sniffling all the while she was talking.  
"I really love my dad, I do. And I am so grateful for everything he has done for me. But it is moments like this that he just drives me right up the wall. I just don't understand why he is being so hard on me. In the past he has always tried to be understanding and considerate, but now it just seems as if all his usual values have gone right through the window."  
"Jesse, I am sure you're dad doesn't see it that way. His values haven't changed, it's just that his priorities have. He loves you, very much. And all he wants is for you to be safe; you being a speedster doesn't really fit into that plan. You need to give him some time, to adjust. It'll be fine."  
Jesse nodded and stood up again, Caitlin got to her feet as well and smiled at Jesse encouragingly.  
"Are you sure?"  
"I promise."  
"Thank you Caitlin."  
"You're welcome Jesse."

Hours later Caitlin was the only one left in the lab, Cisco was at the gym and Barry and Iris were on another date. She was just finishing up on some paperwork when she heard footsteps rapidly approaching her, fear clutched around her heart, only to see Harrison standing in the middle of the lab when she finally dared to turn around. _But_ something was different about him. His chest was heaving and his hair looked even more out of control than it usually did.  
" _What_ did you say to her? I asked you to talk her out of it! Not into it!"  
"I am sorry Harrison, but last time _I_ checked, according to my degree I'm a bio-engineer. Not some kind of motivational speaker. I am sorry that it didn't turn out the way you had anticipated it."  
"You made it even worse Snow! She wants to be trained by you now. Job well done, I'd say. _Not_."  
He was looking at her angrily, he looked like he wanted to say even more, but he had struck a chord with Caitlin. She had done her best, trying to talk some sense into Jesse. But she was a strongminded young girl, much like her father. There was something stubborn in her character and that didn't fade that easily, especially not if she had such an obvious ambition in life: _keep Central city safe.  
_ "Now you're going to listen to me Harrison Wells. Maybe Jesse isn't the problem in this whole story. And I'll be damned if you blame me. Maybe for once, _you_ should be the one to take a look in the mirror. Instead of lecturing her the whole time, you should be supporting her. You are her father Harry, she needs you. She is scared herself, just as much as you are. Have you got any idea what it is like for her to discover she has powers? It is important for her to learn how she has to deal with them. I know that it seems scary to you, that she wants to run around the city and save people. But believe me when I say that it is even scarier for her, she feels all this energy going through her body and she doesn't even know what to do with that. You need to be _there_ for her Harrison, don't let her down."  
During her angry soliloquy she had stepped closer to Harrison and had even had the nerve to poke Harry in the chest, three times. Something in his eyes had shifted, at first Caitlin had feared that she had turned him from angry to absolutely furious, but then it had showed again. The tenderness that only seemed to be reserved for her.  
"I know you're right Snow, I'm just scared out of my _mind_."  
"I get that Harry, but you're not alone in this alright? You've got me."  
"For how long will that be?"  
Then something changed in the atmosphere, she didn't know if it was because of the desperate pleading tone in Harrison's voice or the expectant look he was giving her, but something told her that _this_ was the right time to finally act on her feelings. So she took one step closer and slowly rose on her tiptoes, giving him enough time to back away, only he didn't. Instead of trying to get out of the kiss he most definitely moved into it, meeting her halfway. The spark that was send through them ironically felt like electricity. After he let go of her she just smiled at him, with a dazed but satisfied look on her face.  
"You'll have me for as long as you want me to stay, Harrison Wells."  
"Forever it is then." Harrison simply answered, causing Caitlin to blush, but that didn't really matter, because then he bowed down to catch her lips into another searing kiss.


End file.
